CBI registers preliminary enquiry in SSC paper leak case

NEW DELHI: The CBI on Wednesday registered a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) to probe the alleged paper leak in one of the tests of the Staff Selection Commission held in February this year.

“We have registered a PE into the case after getting an order from the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) for an enquiry into the matter. A Regular Case (FIR)  will be registered after a through probe,” said a CBI official.

On March 5, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had ordered a CBI probe following protest by hundreds of students outside the SSC headquarters at CGO Complex at Lodhi Road.

The protesting students alleged that there was leak of questions of the combined graduate level (tier 11) examination held from February 17 to February 22.

Preliminary Enquiry does not have any sanction under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) unlike an FIR.  
CBI officials said the agency had examined the reference received from the Centre for a CBI enquiry into the matter.

After examining the allegations, a decision was taken to initiate a preliminary enquiry in the matter, the officials said.

A preliminary enquiry is the first step of a probe by the CBI where the agency assesses whether the allegations have enough prima facie material for registering an FIR.

Students have been protesting outside the SSC office at CGO complex in the national capital since February 27, seeking a CBI probe into the alleged paper leak in the Combined Graduate-Level (CGL) exam.

The Staff Selection Commission (SSC), which conducts examination for subordinate services had recommended a CBI inquiry into the alleged paper leaks in one of its tests held on February 21.

In a statement, SSC chairman Ashim Khurana had said that a delegation of candidates, who were protesting against the alleged paper leaks, met him on the issue.

They demanded a CBI enquiry into the allegations of leak of questions of the Combined Graduate Level (Tier-II) Examination (CGLE) 2017 held from February 17 to 22 this year.

The commission conducts examinations for recruitment to lower categories of posts in the central government.

In the CGLE-2017, more than 30 lakh candidates across the country had applied for just over 8,000 vacancies, Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh had said.

Out of these, around 1.5 lakh candidates were shortlisted after the Tier-1 exam, he said.

(with PTI inputs)